Page 108 - SAMENA Trends - January 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) neutral 900MHz spectrum licenses, with the Ministry
has given its clearance to a plan for Ukrainian estimating that the expanded usage of the 900MHz
mobile operators Kyivstar, Vodafone and Lifecell to band could be implemented by ‘this summer’, although
redistribute 900MHz band GSM frequencies between noting that various other ‘bureaucratic procedures’
themselves and refarm the spectrum for 2G/3G/4G must be completed first. The Ministry also noted that
Ukraine networks, after it verified that the plans would not AMCU permission was one of the requisite steps in the
distort competition, nor be detrimental to users, nor operators’ joint action plan approved by the regulator
result in other negative economic or social impact. NCCIR. Other aspects of the refarming/relicensing
The AMCU’s decision – disclosed on the social media plans include redistribution of 800MHz frequencies
pages of Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation for LTE (also involving CDMA operator Intertelecom).
– means that operators can apply for new technology- (January 17, 2020) commsupdate.com

British telecoms regulator Ofcom has opened a copper to fiber-based services. With this consultation
consultation on regulatory proposals which it says scheduled to close on 1 April 2020, Ofcom has said it
are designed to promote competition and investment aims to publish its decisions in early 2021, before the
in fiber infrastructure, arguing that such investment is current regulation expires in April that year. Meanwhile,
United needed to meet future demand for ultrafast broadband the regulator also noted that this review does not cover
services. Ofcom’s consultation – entitled ‘Promoting
the Hull area, confirming that that part of the country
Kingdom competition and investment in fiber networks: will be subject to a separate consultation.
Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review 2021-26’ – (January 9, 2020) commsupdate.com
set outs detailed plans that would be implemented from
April 2021. With a four-point plan at the heart of the Following a Freedom of Information request by Roger
regulator’s proposals, the core elements are: improving Howell, Ofcom made their database of amateur radio
the business case for fiber investment by setting call signs available for download. The database,
Openreach’s wholesale prices in a way that encourages released as a spreadsheet containing 141,296 rows,
competition from new networks, as well as investment shows the status of UK amateur call signs as at August
by Openreach; protecting customers and driving 12, 2019. It can be useful for people wanting to apply for
competition by making sure people can still access a specific call sign as it shows all those calls which are
affordable broadband and preventing Openreach not available. Ofcom clarified the meaning of their call
from stifling competition; ensuring rural areas gain sign status field e.g. ‘Reserved’ means that the callsign
access to fiber connectivity by supporting investment has been used within the past two years, although it
by Openreach in these areas; and closing the copper is no longer, and is in the process of ‘cooling down’. It
network as full fiber is built, so that Openreach does is therefore not currently available for assignment to
not have the unnecessary costs of running two parallel anyone else, but operators will be able to apply for it
networks. Further, the regulator has stressed it aims to again after the two-year period has expired.
protect consumers during the transition, by transferring (January 5, 2020) southgatearc.org
its regulation – including price protections – from

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit communities. I’ve said that the Rural Digital Opportunity
Pai announced initial estimates of how many homes Fund would be our boldest step yet to bridge this
and businesses in each state could benefit from Phase divide, and today we get a glimpse of the broad impact
I of the $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. In this investment in rural America would have across
United total, about 6 million rural homes and businesses could the country,” said Chairman Pai. “Our staff’s initial
estimate shows that in 25 states there would be more
be eligible for bidding in an auction slated for later this
States year to receive funding for high-speed broadband. than 100,000 locations that would be eligible for Phase
This state-by-state list is for Phase I funding, which I of the Fund, and the benefits would be felt from the
would target a total of $16 billion to census blocks with Pacific Coast to the Great Plains, and from Appalachia
no broadband service at all meeting the Commission’s to the Gulf Coast. The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund is
minimum speed standards. The remainder of the critical to bridging the digital divide. (January 14, 2020) fcc.gov
funding would be disbursed during Phase II. As
recently announced, the FCC will vote January 30 on Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit
launching the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. Pai issued the following statement after President
“The digital divide affects many people in many rural Trump signed the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal

108 JANUARY 2020